BRADENTON, Fla. — A .215 batting average at Double-A does not scream future star. It does not make prospect lists glow. And for most 20-year-olds, numbers like that would invite serious doubt about a career trajectory.
George Lombard Jr. is not most 20-year-olds. And the Yankees are not treating him like one.
The organization’s top prospect, rated No. 32 overall in baseball by MLB Pipeline, spent the bulk of his 2025 season at Double-A Somerset, where the average pitcher was nearly five years older than him. He hit .215 with a .695 OPS, eight home runs and 24 stolen bases in 108 games. By the numbers, it was a grind. But everyone inside the Yankees’ development system insists the story underneath the stat line is far more encouraging than the surface suggests.
A deliberate promotion into the deep end of the Eastern League
Lombard arrived at Double-A after a dominant first month at High-A Hudson Valley. In 111 plate appearances with the Renegades, the first-round pick slashed .329/.495/.488 with eight doubles and 11 stolen bases before earning promotion to Somerset. He had also been named to the MLB All-Star Futures Game during the 2025 season.
The Yankees pushed him on purpose. Lombard turned 20 during the season and was facing an Eastern League loaded with experienced arms. The average pitcher’s age was 24.7. The stuff was sharper. The sequencing was smarter. And Lombard had to learn how to survive it in real time.
“That’s kind of one of the bigger jumps in the minor leagues, getting to that league and playing in the Eastern League,” Lombard said Monday before coming off the bench in the Yankees’ 6-2 spring training win over the Pirates at LECOM Park. “Facing guys that are a little bit older, know what they’re doing and making that adjustment. The game’s a little cleaner, the game’s a little quicker. So I would say overall, just getting used to the league, getting used to the game and getting accustomed to how I get pitched and how they attack me.”
Lombard, who turns 21 in June, said he has tried not to let the weight of expectation change his process.
“I feel like I’m blessed to be in that situation, where I have those expectations and goals to meet,” he said. “I really just try to block that out. I acknowledge the situation that I’m in, and then just focus on my work and let those things figure themselves out.”
Lombard recorded a walk, a strikeout and a stolen base during his appearance against Pittsburgh.
Boone says Lombard was ‘much better than the surface stuff said’
Manager Aaron Boone did not flinch when asked about Lombard’s Double-A production. His response was immediate and firm.
“Under the hood, he was much better than the surface stuff said,” Boone said. “Like, we even had him hitting a bunch of home runs with a major league ball that for whatever reason at Double-A, it’s a little different. But yes, I think a bump up in class as a young man, gaining experience, hopefully he just continues to develop that hittability.”
The major league ball comment is notable. Baseballs used in the majors have lower seams and are wound tighter than minor league balls, which causes them to carry differently off the bat. Boone indicated that Lombard’s raw power showed up more with the big league ball, suggesting some of his batted balls at Somerset may have played differently in a major league park.
When asked whether the Yankees could reliably measure that kind of difference, Boone chuckled.
“I mean, we think so anyway,” he said.
An American League scout who evaluated Lombard at Double-A last season backed the Yankees’ view.
“He has a good chance to be a solid everyday player,” the scout said. “Can stay in the middle infield and is better-than-average defender at both spots. Good swing mechanics and carries himself well. Just didn’t have the results as a 20-year-old at Double-A.”
Cashman says the bat still needs time, but the defense is already there
General manager Brian Cashman has been direct about where Lombard stands. He called him an “exciting, high-ceiling talent” and said Lombard “could play defense in the big leagues right now, but he’s still developing on the hitting side.” That assessment lines up with what Boone praised Monday. The manager raved about Lombard’s athleticism, pointing to a play in the hole against the Pirates on Saturday where the 6-foot-3, 205-pound shortstop made a difficult grab look effortless.
Lombard, a former standout soccer player who won a state championship at Gulliver Prep, has credited that background for sharpening his footwork and body control on the diamond.
“The cross-training helped me a ton,” Lombard said. “Mentally, too, just having another group of friends in my circle and every now and then getting a break from baseball to focus on soccer and competing. I always loved it. In high school, I had big jumps athletically, and I think a factor of that was playing soccer.”
The Yankees selected him 26th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. His father, George Lombard Sr., was a second-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 1994 and played parts of six big league seasons. He is currently the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers.
“Ball comes out really well, he’s really springy, moves well,” Boone said. “Shows real signs of controlling the strike zone and having the ability to impact the ball with his size and how strong he is. For him, it’s just that next layer of hittability now of hopefully putting it all together.”
Boone also offered a broader endorsement of Lombard’s character.
“He’s just consistent, great work habits, all about baseball,” Boone said. “Just a real focused, disciplined kid that’s come pretty fast and has continued to develop.”
Lombard expected to start 2026 at Double-A with no immediate Bronx timeline
The Yankees plan to send Lombard back to Somerset to open the 2026 season. A big league debut this year is considered unlikely, even as questions persist about Anthony Volpe’s long-term hold on the shortstop position. Volpe is currently recovering from left shoulder surgery and is not expected back until May.
That timeline does not change the calculus for Lombard. The Yankees view this as a key development year for a prospect who needs more at-bats against advanced pitching before he faces the demands of the Bronx. His makeup, defense and raw tools already grade well above his age group. The bat is the last piece.
“I’m refining my approach with every at-bat,” Lombard said.
For now, a .215 average at Double-A is a data point, not a verdict. And the Yankees are betting that the full picture of George Lombard Jr. will look very different by the time the organization is ready to bring him north.
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